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After taking some time off, Brandon Moreno came back looking rejuvenated at UFC Edmonton.
The former flyweight king outstruck Amir Albazi for the better part of five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph in Saturday’s headliner at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Albazi, who lost for the first time in six Octagon appearances, was unable to match his Mexican opponent during exchanges on the feet, and he was also unable to ground “Assassin Baby.”
For Moreno, it was a much-needed return to the win column after back-to-back losses. Those struggles prompted him to announce in March that he would be taking a break from MMA to allow his body and mind to rest.
“What can I say? I feel just amazing, All the vibes, all the environment around my training camp was on point. It was just perfect. I wanted to show that in my performance tonight, and I feel I did it,” Moreno said at the post-fight press conference.
“I felt so connected, and I felt all the pieces were in the right place. It was a dominant performance, and this is the kind of performance I know I’m able to do in my next fights.”
Moreno will undoubtedly be an interested observer when Alexandre Pantoja defends the flyweight crown against newcomer Kai Asakura at UFC 310 next month. The 30-year-old Fortis MMA product is taking a realistic view of his title hopes given the current climate of the flyweight division. He is 0-2 against Pantoja, with a third, unofficial loss coming on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
“I want to be honest with myself, I think, maybe, I have to fight one more time before the title,” Moreno said. “But I don’t know what the UFC is thinking right now. Maybe they got so impressed with the performance tonight and say, ‘Maybe he can get the title next.’ I know [Brandon] Royval is there. Kai Kara-France is trying to get the opportunity for the title next. So, I don’t know. I’ll be ready for whatever.”
In addition to his fights with Pantoja, Moreno has plenty of experience against the rest of the division’s top contenders. He is 1-1 against Royval, including a split-decision loss on Feb. 24. He’s also 2-0 against Kara-France in UFC competition. There are also new foes such as Asakura and Tatsuro Taira. While some possibilities interest him more than others, Moreno is willing to take whatever the promotion might offer.
“I can get [a rematch] with Royval,” Moreno said. “I don’t want to fight with Kai again because I fought him twice and I beat him, but if I have to do that [I will]. Tatsuro Taira is there. Kai Asakura, let’s see what happens there against Pantoja. If he loses, that can be the next one. I don’t know, let’s see what happens.”
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